How Long Does a Hot Pepper Take Till Ripe From Flower?

Red peppers take longer to develop their color on the plant.

Hot peppers (Capsicum annuum) offer colorful fruits ranging from green to purple or red -- sometimes on the same plant, depending on the variety and maturity stage. In fact, you can pull these peppers from the plant at any color stage and enjoy varying heat levels for many recipes. Preferring U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11, a hot pepper takes several months to move from flowering to ripe fruit.

Average Time Span

Subtle white flowers drooping downward on the hot pepper plant do not last longer than three days, but they are continually produced during warm spring and summer days. After successful fertilization, full-size green peppers develop within 55 days, although these fruits are often referred to as unripe. You can cut some of these peppers from the plant and allow others to ripen longer. This harvesting process may stimulate more flowering for added fruits. To produce red peppers with more heat, plants need approximately 150 days until fully ripe.

Environmental Influence

If a hot pepper plant is under stress, such as from drought or poor sunlight exposure, the ripening process could be slowed until proper conditions exist. For the best harvest, locate the plant in a full sunlight location in moist, friable soil. Ample sunlight provides the energy necessary for fruit ripening. Additionally, cold snaps hinder fruit set and ripening times. If possible, move the hot pepper plant indoors if temperatures dip below 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Consistently cool nights tend to slow the ripening process and might stunt the plant entirely.

Pollination Success

Hot pepper flowers rely on both self- and cross-pollination to create fruits. Although the flowers do not last long, they produce intoxicating nectar that increases in strength as the day moves from morning to afternoon. Hungry insects flock to the flowers to feed and transfer pollen grains at the same time. If you want to increase fruit yields, hand pollination works well. Using a small brush or cotton swab, swipe a flower's stamens and move the grains between different flowers.

Room to Grow

Provide 2 to 3 feet of space between hot pepper plants to prevent competition for natural resources. Nutrients, oxygen and moisture must be readily available to encourage average ripening times. Crowded plants search for limited resources and may succumb to plant stunting and slow ripening because of stress. Maintain a well-drained soil site to create moist conditions without waterlogging roots. Ample moisture provides a pathway for nutrient flows into the pepper plant for lush fruiting and consistent ripening times.

About the Author

Writing professionally since 2010, Amy Rodriguez cultivates successful cacti, succulents, bulbs, carnivorous plants and orchids at home. With an electronics degree and more than 10 years of experience, she applies her love of gadgets to the gardening world as she continues her education through college classes and gardening activities.